Name of Fangirl: Jenna
Fangirl’s School Grade: Graduate Student of International Development and Global Cooperation
What is her Fangirl interest?
Star Wars primarily but also a long time Sailor Moon fan. She also loves Lord of the Rings and a number of other Western and Japanese fantasy and sci-fi books, comics, movies, and TV shows.
Why did you decide to shine the spotlight on this Fangirl?
Jenna is an amazing friend who is living proof that love of a fandom (in our case, Star Wars) transcends international politics and boundaries. She has lived abroad in both Japan and India for large chunks of time and through Star Wars has developed amazing friendships with fans from all over.
How does this Fangirl express her fandom?
Costuming and fanfiction are the two big ways she participates in and encourage the fan communities. She’s a Legion Costume Judge for the Rebel Legion, and she says she “loves that job because it is not just approving or disapproving new costumes, but a way to reach out to and help new members improve their costumes and get more involved with the group.” As an ordinary member of the group, she gets to make little kids (and not-so-little kids) smile. Her favorite part of that is sharing Star Wars with little girls and showing them that sci-fi isn’t just for boys.
She also used to be in a Sailor Moon costuming group that did short song-and-dance performances at conventions as a way of sharing their love of the fandom with other con-goers as well as share a bit about a more obscure part of the Sailor Moon franchise—the stage musicals.
What is her favorite quote or personal motto?
“Always in motion, the future is,” Yoda had that right, and that is both the most mysterious and exciting part of life.
What is her favorite Fangirl item that she cannot live without?
“Probably my Leia buns. I have short hair, so I made myself a pair of insta-buns out of hair extensions that I can pin to my head when I dress up as Princess Leia. As someone drawn to obscure costumes, I was at first hesitant to do Leia’s iconic “A New Hope” dress, but once I put those buns I felt so magical that I didn’t want to take them off again. Suddenly, I’d become my childhood hero, and could become that for other people, too.”
Where can we follow her online?